Combined hinge and catch assembly



Dec. 31, 1968 STONE ET AL 3,418,683

COMBINED HINGE AND CATCH ASSEMBLY Filed April 21, 1966 Jade/m fiydjm 0226626 y: Mam/ f m United States Patent 01 lice 3,418,683 Patented Dec. 31, 1968 1 3,418,683 COMBINED HINGE AND CATCH ASSEMBLY Roy A. Stone, Rockford, and Leslie M. Ellis, Capron, Ill.,

assignors to National Lock Co., Rockford, 111., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 544,278 3 Claims. (Cl. 16145) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combined hinge and catch assembly utilizing a cabinet wing mounted on a cabinet and provided with a hinge portion receiving a hinge pintle and a flange with an integral strike including an inclined camming portion extending away from the hinge portion and terminating in an inwardly extending retaining surface, and a door wing mounted on a door and having a hinge portion cooperating with the hinge portion of the cabinet wing and the pintle and an embossed portion receiving a spring yoke. The yoke carries a pin which is encompassed by coils of springs that each have one end secured on the embossment and the other end outwardly curved and carrying a roller adapted to engage the camming surface and retaining surface as the door is closed.

The present invention relates to a hinge construction for pivotally mounting a door on a cabinet or other enclosure, and more particularly to a hinge having a catch mechanism assembled thereto to urge and retain the door in closed position without the necessity of separate catches for the door.

Among the objects of the present invention is thepro vision of a hinge for the door of a cabinet or similar enclosure including a catch mechanism to urge and retain the door in closed position. The catch mechanism includes a strike incorporated upon one hinge wing and a catch member provided on the other hinge Wing; the catch member cooperating with the strike to urge and retain the door in closed position.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a hinge incorporating a catch assembly having a roller which is resiliently biased to a position for retaining the door closed is cooperation with a strike portion. The strike portion is provided with a camming surface and a retaining surface; the camming surface urging the roller outwardly against the force of the biasing means and the retaining surface cooperating with and allowing the roller to return to normal position due to the resilient biasing means.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a hinge incorporating a catch assembly where the strike has a retaining surface and the catch has a resiliently biased roller; the biased roller and the retaining surface of the strike cooperating to urge and draw the door into fully closed position.

Further objects are to provide a construction of maximum simplicity, efficiency, economy and ease of assembly and operation, and such further objects, advantages and capabilities as will later more fully appear and are inherently possessed thereby.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view on the assembled hinge and catch combination of the present invention shown with the door in open position, and also showing in dotted outline the manner in which the parts engage as the door is moved toward closed position.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the hinge and catch combination shown in full lines in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view similar to FIG. 1 but with the door and hinge components in closed position.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical cross sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of the disassembled cabinet hinge wing and its strike.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of the disassembled door hinge wing but with the roller and spring omitted.

Referring more particularly to the disclosure in the drawing wherein is shown an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 disclose the hinge and catch assembly 10 mounted on a cabinet frame 11 and pivotally mounting a door or closure 12 on the cabinet. The hinge and catch combination 10 includes a cabinet wing 13 (FIG. 5) and a door wing 14 (FIG. 6) pivoted by a hinge pin or pintle 15.

The cabinet Wing 13 includes a mounting portion or base 16 having openings 17 to receive suitable securing means 18 (FIGS. 1 and 2) to mount the hinge wing to the edge of the cabinet 11, and having a central generally rectangular opening 19 to allow for closing movement of the door wing 14. A bifurcated portion 21 is at right angles to the mounting portion 16 and includes a pair of spaced arms 22, 22 terminating in curled or rolled ends 23, 23 to provide bearing sleeves for the pintle 15. At the opposite edge of the mounting portion 16 is an oppositely projecting flange 24 at right angles to the portion 16 formed with or providing a strike 25 integral with the flange and including an inclined camming surface 26 at an angle to the surface of the flange and an inwardly extending retaining surface 27 at right angles to the flange. Diverging flanges 28 integral with the camming surface extend between the camming surface and the flange.

The door wing 14 also includes a mounting portion or base 29 having openings 31 for suitable securing means 32 (FIGS. 1 and 2); a part of the mounting portion being narrowed to an angularly extending tongue or prong 33. The tongue terminates in a curled or rolled portion providing a hearing sleeve 34 that fits between the curled ends forming the spaced bearing sleeves 23, 23 of the cabinet wing 13 and when aligned receives the pintle 15.

At the edge of the mounting portion 29 opposite the tongue or projection 33 is a raised portion or embossment 35 of a generally rectangular shape and having a pair of parallel spaced slots 36 receiving the arms 38 of a spring yoke 37. The base of the yoke 37 (as seen in FIG. 4) is positioned within the pocket formed between the embossment 35 and the adjacent surface of the door 12, and the arms 38 extend through the slots 36 as seen in FIGS. 4 and 6. Each arm has an opening 39 adjacent its free end to receive a pin 41 retained by being headed at each end outside the arms 38.

The edge of the embossment 35 is provided with spaced notches 42 adapted to receive the hooked ends 44, 44 of spring means 43 which may consist of a pair of right and left-hand springs or a single spring. Intermediate the hooked end 44 and an opposite curved end 45, the spring means is provided with coils 46 surrounding the pin 41. The ends 45, 45 of the spring means are curved away from the pin 41 (see FIG. 4) and terminate in inturned portions which extend into and carry a roller assembly including a sleeve 47 (FIGS. 2 and 4) carrying a plastic roller 48 which engages the strike 25 as the door is closed. Although a pair of right and left-hand springs 43, 43 are shown, the springs may be joined at the hooked ends 44, 44 with a U-shaped connecting portion to form a single spring.

Considering the operation of this hinge and catch combination, FIG. 1 shows the door 12 in open position in full lines. Upon closing movement, the door 12 reaches the position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 where the roller 48 contacts the camming surface 26 of the strike 25.

Further closing movement causes the roller 48 to ride up the camming surface 26 against the force of the spring means 43 until the edge or crest at the junction of the retaining surface 27 is reached. The spring means 43 then urges or snaps the roller 48 inward onto the surface 27 thus drawing the door 12 to fully closed position. A slight outward force to open the door 124 will cause the roller to ride up and over the surface 27 against the action of the spring 43 and onto the camming surface 26. Then the spring means will return the roller 48 to its normal position, thus urging the door to an ajar position, and the door may then be freely moved to fully open position.

We claim:

1. A hinge and catch combination for the door of a cabinet or other enclosure, comprising a first hinge wing mounted on one member and having a mounting portion, a bifurcated pivot portion at right angles to the mounting portion, and a flange, a strike integral with the flange and having a camming surface and a retaining surface, and t a second hinge wing pivotally mounted on said first hinge wing and including a mounting portion and a tongue having a pivot portion, said mounting portion including an embossment forming a pocket between the embossment and the adjacent surface of the member and having spaced slots and a pair of spaced notches in the edge thereof, a spring yoke including a base portion received in the pocket formed by said embossment and a pair of spaced arms each having an opening adjacent the free end thereof, extending through the spaced slots in the embossment, a pin extending through the openings in said arm, spring means carried by the yoke including a pair of right and left-hand springs each having a hook portion seating in one of the spaced notches in said embossment, an inturned end, and a coiled portion intermediate the hook portion and the inturned end and mounted on said pin, and a roller assembly carried on the inturned ends of said springs and adapted to engage the strike to retain the door in closed position.

2. A hinge and catch combination as set forth in claim 1, in which the end portion of each spring extending from the coiled portion to the inturned ends is curved outwardly away from the second hinge wing and inwardly toward the strike.

3. A hinge and catch combination as set forth in claim 1, in which said roller assembly includes a sleeve which is mounted on the inturned ends of the springs and a roller is carried on said sleeve.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,573,096 10/1951 Ender 16-140 2,422,771 6/1947 Blum 292 79 2,542,140 2/1951 Holm 292 79 1,236,352 8/1917 Puckett 292 79 512,202 Mullory 292 79 FOREIGN PATENTS 24,514 6/1913 Great Britain.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

DORIS L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

